Issue 18
Mah Sing Plastics Industries
Creating a more Sustainable FutureWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Joe Palliser Since inception in 1965, Mah Sing Group has built its name as a premier lifestyle developer and renowned plastics manufacturer in Malaysia, with numerous awards under its belt marking decades of achievements and its position as one of the top sales leaders in Malaysia. Leveraging the Mah Sing brand has enabled the high-tech plastics subsidiary of the Group to position itself as a reliable supplier with a durable and high quality final product; manufacturing a wide range of plastic products including industrial containers, furniture, motorcycle safety helmets, pallets and other more niche items for industrial, domestic and wholesale distribution use.“While we have always been at the forefront of Malaysia’s manufacturing industry, responsible for many industry firsts since establishment in 1979, our commitment to the latest equipment and technology has given Mah Sing Plastics Industries (MSPI) the edge in terms of our sales and marketing activities,” says Hock Seng Hong, Executive Director of Mah Sing Plastics Industries.With its facilities located at Port Klang, ranked the 12th busiest port in the world, and a 65 percent-owned subsidiary, PT. Mah Sing Indonesia, MSPI is strategically placed at the centre of Southeast Asia, where it can showcase its innovative products and solutions to a population of more than 500 million. “In Indonesia, we have been fortunate enough to win various OEM contracts for the supply of automotive parts to large multinational companies including Daihatsu, Nissan, Isuzu and Mitsubishi, which has helped bolster our business here,” he adds.In line with its continuous product improvement…
Edotco Group
Enabling Connectivity for the FutureWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Donovan Smith Having bolstered its range of integrated telecommunications infrastructure services with the addition of value-add services, Southeast Asia’s tower services expert, edotco is carefully balancing its desire to expand with a desire to constantly innovate; evolving beyond a traditional tower Company with a focus on creating its own reliable supply of power to remain competitive in a rapidly growing market.A series of strategic tower acquisitions since inception in 2012 has resulted in edotco taking ownership of more than 15,000 towers, including around 2,200 new towers built in 2015 by the Company across its five countries of operation - Malaysia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Pakistan – representative of edotco’s position as a leading pan-Asian tower services provider.Suresh Sidhu, Chief Executive Officer of the Company recalls: “edotco has evolved from a concept into a reality; with tower assets in multiple countries and a range of end-to-end solutions for the sector today. It is our ability to adapt and keep up with the pace of the industry that makes us stand out from the competition.”With a whole range of tower-centric services spanning infrastructure, power, energy sourcing, operations and maintenance, and monitoring services, edotco’s offering covers the full spectrum of tower needs, tailored to tackle various country and environment-specific challenges.The Company’s recent drive to secure a reliable supply of power to its towers has proved to be a strategic move towards achieving long-term operational efficiency. “This is just one step that makes our towers more attractive and we hope this will facilitate increased…
Port of Tanjung Pelepas
Reliable, Efficient, AdvancedWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Ben Weaver With a vision to be the preferred port of choice in Southeast Asia, the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) strives to provide unrivalled port services to the global market. Just 45 minutes from the confluence of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, PTP’s strategic location makes it easily accessible from the Straits of Malacca. Situated at the confluence of the main east-west shipping lanes on the eastern side of the mount of the Pulai River in Southwest Johor, PTP is a naturally sheltered deep water port near the Malaysia-Singapore Second Crossing with 14 linear berths totalling 5.04 kilometres and 57 Super Post Panamax cranes to enhance productivity. The Port’s berth productivity currently averages at more than 100 moves an hour.Accorded with Free Zone status in 1997 and Free Zone Authority management in 1998, PTP is governed by the Free Zone Act of 1990 which is enforced by Malaysia’s Ministry of Finance. This status promulgates the local container trade volumes of the port and forms part of the hinterland cargo catchment area.PTP has experienced steady growth since the port opened 15 years ago – moving 400,000 TEU in 2000 – to become known today as Malaysia’s most advanced container terminal; leveraging state-of-the-art IT systems that synergise all of the port’s operations and communication centres, resulting in the highest productivity levels possible.Free Zone advantagesAdvantageously, PTP sits within Malaysia’s Free Zone. The direct connection to the port terminal therefore provides efficient and cost-effective container movement between the Free Zone and the Port, creating convenience for the…
Brink’s Global Services Singapore
Cashing in on Secure DiversificationWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Tom Cullum As the world’s leading provider of secure logistics for valuable commodities, Brink’s’ success in the Southeast Asian region would seem something of a formality, but via a core philosophy of continuous improvement and a dedication to providing multi-sector solutions, the Company refuses to rest on its laurels as it embarks on its latest diversification.Established in the region in 1989, Brink’s has developed a proud heritage of service, offering integrated secure solutions at every level within its customers’ value chain process, across six highly secure storage facilities. These services span inventory management - such as storage, sortation, and pick & pack operations - to complex domestic and international distribution services.Subsequently, Brink’s has been rewarded with responsibilities including the role of approved vault operator for SGX (Singapore Exchange) and ICE (International Commodities Exchange) Precious Metals trading inventories. By blending more than 155 years of global risk management experience with new technologies and operating systems, Brink’s can offer market-leading solutions to drive efficiency while enhancing safety and security within every client’s business.Many Singapore-based corporations operating within the valuable sectors have benefited from Brink’s renowned ability to provide the most innovative and efficient end-to-end logistics solutions spanning such a vast range of markets.“In terms of our recent business expansion, we have been looking extensively into the cash processing services and the ATM cash management sectors,” explains Baskaran Narayanan, the Company’s Country Manager for Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. “These types of services were already in the marketplace, however the banks were looking for an enhanced…
Shimizu Corporation Singapore
Towering Above the CompetitionWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Arron Rampling As one of the most renowned brand names in Asian construction, Shimizu Corporation’s success in Singapore should come as no surprise, but as the Company to beat and with a plethora of local competitors striving to prise market share away, the civil engineering and built environment specialist continues to rely on far more than its Japanese heritage.Having said that, there aren’t many operators - even on a global scale - who can promote such a heritage; with the wider Shimizu Group, headquartered in Japan, boasting more than 200 years of history.The latter 43 of these have been complemented by a concerted presence in Singapore, following the corporate decision to not just replicate the Japanese model in a new market, but to follow its loyal customers in order to facilitate their own expansion.Nearly half a century later, and with more than 1,000 employees bought into the Shimizu culture, the Company is now a firmly established Singaporean entity, finding the perfect balance between leveraging its Japanese knowhow and tailoring it towards a very local service offering.“There is a significant difference in the local and Japanese corporate culture which enables us to focus on good, meticulous planning and high quality of work done,” says the Company’s Deputy General Manager, Bonaventure Lek. “We also emphasise good, long-term business relationships and we have the financial stability as our resource.”Pivotal to the overall success of Shimizu in Singapore has been this ability to not just form long-term sustainable partnerships, but to do so at an almost…
KONE Opens World’s Tallest Elevator Test Towers
This week, KONE is celebrating the grand opening of one of the world’s tallest elevator test towers. The new 36-floor tower is centrally located at the KONE Park manufacturing site, engineering facility and research and development (R&D) centre in the Kunshan New and Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone in Eastern China.Reaching a height of 235.6 metres, the tower contains 12 shafts that can be reconfigured for testing new high-rise solutions and components. Permanent features include a high-speed elevator that carries visitors to a sky lobby and showroom at speed of up to 10 metres per second (m/s). This is the world's first double-decker elevator to feature KONE UltraRope(TM) super-light rope technology.“The new test tower demonstrates our strong commitment to developing R&D in mid and high-rise elevator technology. We are the industry leader in China, and this investment will further strengthen our position in a rapidly changing market. Now that we have additional capacity and capability to test our innovations, we will be able to deliver new products faster than ever before,” said Henrik Ehrnrooth, CEO and President at KONE.The Kunshan test tower is the tallest among KONE's eight global testing facilities. The Company’s underground testing facility in Tytyri, Finland, is 305 metres deep, allowing the company to test elevators at speeds up to 17 m/s; making this the only testing facility in the world where such speeds can be reached. In the new Kunshan test tower, the maximum speed is 15 m/s.The Kunshan R&D team works in close collaboration with KONE's existing high-rise laboratory researchers in Finland.…
Anheuser-Busch InBev Brings Smart Drinking to China
Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) has announced the launch of its four Global Smart Drinking Goals, with Shanghai identified as a core city of analysis over the coming years; tying in with the Company’s ongoing drive towards enhanced Chinese saturation.The initiative has been introduced with a view to deepening its commitment to implementing effective and collaborative solutions to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, and the new goals - to be achieved by the end of 2025 - demonstrate an evolution in AB InBev’s approach to responsible drinking; from helping to raise awareness of alcohol responsibility to positively changing behaviours by investing in longer-term, evidenced-based approaches to reduce harmful drinking trends.The first set of goals included partnerships, public education initiatives, retailer training and other activities that reinforced responsible drinking, and the new Global Smart Drinking Goals are set to build on that legacy by focusing on two key areas; changing behaviours through carefully conducted analysis and subsequent investment in programmes, and empowering consumers to make smarter drinking choices.As the world’s leading brewer, AB InBev believes it has an important role to play in contributing to these necessary changes and has earmarked Shanghai as one of six cities around the world to carry out its evidence-based solutions; launching multi-year pilots to reduce the harmful use of alcohol in each location by 10 percent and thus shifting deeply engrained social dynamics. “Further committing to helping influence social norms to reduce harmful alcohol use, AB InBev is investing at least US$1 billion across our markets in dedicated social marketing campaigns and…
Enabling Asia’s Budding Entrepreneurs
Successful and aspiring entrepreneurs have graced news stories across many emerging countries in recent years; with several experts highlighting the growing gap in investment available to startups and SMEs. Marred by a lack of funding and economic conditions, promising entrepreneurs may never be able to afford the senior management support structures required to be able to focus on achieving their full potential.Addressing this need through venture capital funding, Kohli Ventures was created to embrace the technological revolution and youth entrepreneurialism, providing the necessary valuable management advice and hands-on experience that entrepreneurs need to create a successful long-term business model, connecting young, high growth companies to important industry contacts.With a focus on emerging markets with high intellectual capital, Kohli Ventures’ Chairman, philanthropist, billionaire and likeminded entrepreneur, Tej Kohli, is providing a new generation of visionary, go-getting entrepreneurs with the chance to accelerate their business plans by partnering with Kohli Ventures. The enigmatic business mogul explains his own business journey and what makes a good Asian entrepreneur in today’s economic environment.Asia Outlook (AsO): Please provide a brief introduction to yourself, Kohli Ventures, and your own journey as anentrepreneur?Tej Kohli (TK): I am the son of a respected Indian economist and a graduate of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, where I studied electrical engineering. On leaving university, my first job was in a tachometer factory, it was there that I had my eureka moment; I quickly learned that for any business to advance and become as profitable as possible on a global stage, it needs to embrace…
Cult Wines Expands into Asia as it Sees Substantial Growth in Profits
Cult Wines, a specialist in the acquisition and investment management of fine wines, has announced that it is set to open a new office in Hong Kong to take advantage of increasing demand in Asia for investing in fine wine.Cult Wines, which was ranked 40th in The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 2015 in the UK, has seen annual profits increase by 105 percent last year. The firm specialises in the procurement, management and eventual successful liquidation of the world’s finest and rare wines.Founded in 2007, Cult Wines has grown to become one of the UK’s largest wine investment companies managing private and trade client portfolios on behalf of more than 1,800 clients across 55 countries. Assets under administration are around £30 million with the firm aiming for sales of around £25 million next year and £50 million by 2020.Cult Wines has seen the rise of new markets such as Hong Kong and China, which have driven growth in the fine wine market in recent years. Of the US$352 million of wine sold at auction in 2014, for example, some US$104 million, or 30 percent, was accounted for by Hong Kong alone. By 2024 it is predicted that China will boast nearly 15,700 ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNWIs) and 338 billionaires. It is already the single biggest consumer of luxury goods around the world, accounting for some 29 percent of the global luxury spend and its consumption of wine has been growing by 20 percent annually.Tom Gearing, BBC The Apprentice (2012) finalist and Managing Director…